Association of cotinine levels and preeclampsia among African-American women.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Although prior studies have shown that smoking reduces preeclampsia risk, the relationship between nicotine level and preeclampsia risk is not known. Our objective was to study the effects of smoking on the incidence of preeclampsia in African-American women using cotinine, a quantitative marker of nicotine.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis of data collected prospectively in Project District of Columbia Healthy Outcomes of Pregnancy Education. Our study included 724 African-American women. Self-reported smoking, cotinine levels, and pregnancy outcomes were examined.

Results

Some 18% of participants were smokers. Women with salivary cotinine levels greater than 200 ng/ml had infants with lower birth weights and a higher incidence of small-for-gest

SUBMITTER: Janakiraman V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2688602 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature